Do I really belong??

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I was in a deep slumber .Suddenly, I was jolted into a rude awakening . A thought-numbing question scarred me....

Do I really belong ?
As I collected my thoughts ,i could only fetch this much in my defence..

I am your so-called 3rd generation Indian born in the times of double-digits inflation & resounding economic growth .India is my nationality ..this detail is my saviour when i fill forms ( college registration ,voter identity ,passport...) & jot down India as my country by birth & descent .

I don't have in-your-face patriotism .It doesn't ebb out from my veins.I need reminders like the one from who-else but king khan "mujhe states ka naam na to sunai deta hai na dikhai..mujhe sirf ek mulk ka naam sunai deta hai .. INDIA AAA..."

I am your ordinary 20-something who goes mall-hopping ,who celebrates 'friendship day' & who is riding on the IT-Wave. I pride myself as one of the 'sons of the new India'..and take great pleasure in scowling at the rampant corruption, the pitholes & stray cows..(ills ridding the society huh!..as we call them)

I hurl choicest of abuses at the system..'saala system hi kharab hai..ye India hai India .. yaha kuch nhi badlega'..But if given a chance , would soar across the Atlantic craving for an American Dream at the first possible opportunity..

I am one of those who will make loud declarations that i was touched by the impeccable 'Swadesh' but will also add with a lighter undertone..'yaar practical nahi hai yeh..aisa to koi ch****ya hi karega ..haa agar gayatri joshi jaisi koi mil jaaye to socha jaa sakta hai..(laughs all round..period!)'.

I hail from a crowd which never misses a chance to take pot-shots at our colonial medieval police service..'saale bawaal hote hi harkat me aate hai...usse pehle to maa ch***te hai.....' Expletives are a way of life to me..they come to me thick and fast ..

I listen to news of explosions rocking my fellow countrymen,will spare a moment for reflection but then would prefer to talk about it in figures rather then lives ( 'what was the death-toll yaar'..). I will rest in peace until & unless it (read death ) comes close ..too close for comfort..until it knocks at my or my near one's doorstep..

I am the one teething with patriotism when i come out looking dazed after watching first day first shows of 'lakshya ,border..'..'yu to kuch kar guzarne ka man karta hai..yaar army me bharti ho jaaye kya '..but within few moments..reality dawns and i become my usual self craving for the big-bucks via the IIT,IIM route...


Am i eligible ? the choice rests ..

FROM THE MASTER..HIMSELF..

comments (6)

Well being a long-time admirer of Khushwant Singh , the one thing that never fails to surprise me is his comical longevity & the ability to unhurl literary gems in regular periods... So this morning when I sat down to read his regular column..i found this wonderfully funny anecdote of his..So here's a tribute to the mercurial master & his masterpiece..excerpted gleefully from 'Forms of Protest'...hilarious as hell ..


In the days when you couldn’t count on a public toilet facility, an English woman was planning a trip to India. She was registered to stay in a guesthouse owned by the local schoolmaster. She was concerned as to whether the guesthouse contained a WC. In England, a bathroom is commonly called a WC-or Water Closet. She wrote to the schoolmaster inquiring of the facilities about the WC.

The schoolmaster asked the local priest if he knew the meaning of WC. Together, they pondered possible meanings of the letters and concluded that the lady wanted to know if there was a ‘Wayside Chapel’ near the house…A bathroom never entered their minds. So the schoolmaster replied:

“ I take pleasure in informing you that a WC is located nine miles from the house. It is located in the middle of a grove of pine trees, surrounded by lovely grounds .It is capable of holding 229 people and is open on Sundays and Thursdays. As there are many people expected in the summer months, I suggest you arrive early. There is however plenty of standing room. This is an unfortunate situation especially if you are in the habit of going regularly. It may be of some interest to you that my daughter was married in the WC as it was there that she met her husband.It was a wonderful event . There were 10 people in every seat . It was wonderful to see the expressions on their faces . We can take photos in different angles . My wife, sadly , has been ill and unable to go recently . It has been almost a year since she went last ,which pains her greatly.

You’ll be pleased to know that many people bring their lunch and make a day of it… I would recommend your ladyship to plan to go on a Thursday,as there is an organ accompaniment. The acoustics are excellent and even .The most delicate sounds can be heard everywhere…We are holding a bazaar to provide plush seats for all since many feel it is long needed . I look forward to escorting you there myself and seating you in a place where you can be seen by all.”

The woman fainted reading the reply-and she never visited India !!!

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